1) Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to floor panels and, more particularly, to apparatus, systems, and methods for attaching a floor panel to one or more floor beams.
2) Description of Related Art
The floor of an aircraft is typically built up from a series of spaced apart transverse floor beams that span across oval hoop frames to form the structural framework for the aircraft fuselage. The floor beams are usually aluminum and are individually attached with fasteners at each end to the hoop frames via a lap joint. The joint formed between the floor beam and the hoop frame bears the transverse and shear loads applied to the floor beam. Loads applied in the fore and aft direction are bore by longitudinal shear trusses between the floor and the fuselage wall. Once the floor beams are installed, the individual components comprising the floor assembly (e.g., seat tracks, floor panels, etc.) are subsequently attached to the floor beams.
Current techniques for joining the floor beams and floor panel require precise installation of mate-drilled holes between the floor beams and the floor panel to ensure proper hole alignment for the fasteners. Future aircraft are moving away from aluminum to lightweight materials, such as composite materials. The use of composite material creates unique design, integration, and assembly issues that would normally not be problematic with respect to metallic materials.
In particular, composite materials present issues with respect to attaching composite/honeycomb floor panels to floor beams. For example, techniques for attaching composite floor panels to floor beams have been developed, such as co-bonding or co-curing the floor beams and floor panel together, as well as using a bolted attachment with titanium clips bonded to the floor beams and into titanium tubes within the floor panel. However, for replacement or repair, removal of the floor panel may necessary. Thus, a co-bonded or co-cured floor panel and floor beam assembly would require removal of the entire floor system. Although fasteners may be positioned through the holes in the seat track and into the titanium fittings, fasteners require mate-drilled holes which may increase the assembly time, introduce foreign object debris in the seat track channel, and increase the possibility of damaging the seat track holes during the drilling process. For example, fastener installation typically requires one technician above the floor and one below the floor to position and tighten each fastener, or one technician using blind fasteners, but in either case, the floor panel is typically non-removable or non-replaceable because the fasteners may not be able to be removed from the seat track once installed.
It would therefore be advantageous to provide an assembly, a system, and a method for assembling a floor panel and one or more floor beams. In addition, it would be advantageous to provide an improved assembly, system, and method for securing a floor panel to one or more floor beams that may be more efficiently assembled and disassembled. Moreover, it would be further advantageous to provide an assembly, a system, and a method for more effectively securing a floor panel to floor beams using composite materials.